Timing device.



P. M. LINCOLN.

TIMING DEVICE.

APPLICATION man sEPT.2,19x4.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H512 FIGA? H512.

wlTNEssl-:s mvEN-ron P. M. LINCOLN.

TIMING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED sEPT.2,1914,

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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P. M. LINCOLN.

IIMING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2. B914..

1,235,579. Patented Aug. 7,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3` FIGA- WITNESSES INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL M, LINCOLN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

TIMING DEVICE.

Application filed September 2, 1914.

T0 ZZ ywhom t muy concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL M. LINCOLN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Timing Devices, ot which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for regulating the time of movement of mechanisms, as, for example, the recorders for electric meters of various kinds, where a simple, cheap and accurate timing device is useful, the primary object oi the invention being to improve the accuracy and reliability of such devices. i have illustrated the invention in several forms in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view and partial vertical section through a mechanism adapted for my purpose, and shown as operating the recorder of an electric meter;

Figs. 1a, 1b and 1C show modified forms of the liquid orifice at the point 11 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 1d shows a modified form ot electric switch for use in this mechanism;

Eig 2 is a side elevation and vertical section ot another form ot' timing device, operating on the hour glass principle;

Fig. 3 is a partial elevation at right angles -to that of Eig. 2, showing the actuator for the recording mechanism; and

Fig. 4f is a vertical section and diagram in side elevation of another form of timing device.

A form of clock, in which is employed the principle of a liquid flowing or trickling slowly through a small orifice, is a very ancient device; but it was innately and grossly inaccurate, because ot the variation in the viscosity of liquids with variations of ternperature. 1 find that instruments operating on this general principle may, however, be made of sufiicient accuracy for my purposes, as by making the orifice vary in proportion to the variations of viscosity', and by other provisions for compensating for variations of viscosity due to temperature changes.

For example, in Fig. 1, I show a U-tube 8, mounted to rock on a pivot 9, and containing a liquid 10, which, as the containing vessel is rocked, must pass through a small orifice'11, formed between the sides of the connecting tube 12 and a plunger 13, supported at the free end of an eXpansible bar 14, which is rigidly supported at its upper Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ang. 7, 1917.

serial No. 859,775.

through the orifice will be independent ot' the temperature of the liquid or the surrounding air. I may employ any convenient 'means 'for rocking the .U- tube 8, as, for eX- ample, I here show an arm 15 rigidly attached to it below its pivot point 9, and carrying the plungers 16, 16a, of solenoids 17 and 17a. inside the vessel 8, I provide at each side a fioat 18 pivoted at 19, and carrying an arm making electric contact with a fiXed electrode Q0, which is arranged in an electric circuit se as to excite the corresponding solenoid as 17 or 172L to tilt-the vessel in the opposite direction, as soon as the liquid has risen high enough to raise the ioat 18 and make the contact 20. The U- tube then tilting to the left, the arm 15a breaks the switch 20. The operation will be apparent from the diagram. I also prefer to use a catching lug 21 to hold the vessel in the tilted position until released by exciting the electro-magnet 22, when the electric circuit is closed.

The regulated motion ot' the U-tube S may be imparted to a recording mechanism in any convenient manner. As here shown, the actuating bar 15 is pivoted to a link 21 carrying the pawls 25 for turning a toothed rachet wheel 2G in a well-known manner', the rate of turning of the wheel 2G is constant. The wheel Q6 may drive a brush wheel Q7, carried on a shaft 2S, which in turn, by gearing 29, operates a continuous recorder 30; and the shaft 2S may be arranged to move in a direction radial to wheel 26 by an electric meter of the sort illustrated in my prior application No. 799,320, filed Nov. 5, 1913, for a watt meter. That is, the position of the brush wheel 27, with respect to the center of the wheel QG, will depend on the power of the current being measured, while the turning of the wheel 26 will be accurately regulated in point of time, and independent of any changes of temperature.

The instrument is of particular value in such a connection, because, without the cxp`ense of a continuously indicating time marker, such as a clock, 1 obtain a strictly and constantly accurate movement of the indicating gearing at long intervals of time, so that I am able to indicate the logarithmic average demand over the time interval, as described in my said previous application No. 7 99,320 (now Patent No. 1,156,412). That is, it will 'be understood that 'if the bar 28 has a movement proportional to watts, and governed by quantity varying `by a cert-ain logarithmic law with relation to the average demand durin the time interval of the device, the series of such logarithmic average demands are accurately integrated by this time marker. The combination of a slow-responding wattmeter, and the interval marker, I do not, however, claim in this application, but the same is claimed in my n divisional application, No. 42,176, filed July 27th, i915.

It will be understood, of course, that the y orifice 11 will be placed in the top leg 12a, when using a gas to regulate the motion .of

` the U-tube. While the viscosity of liquids decreases with increasing temperature, the viscosity of gases increases with increasing temperature. Consequently, the form of the oriiice 11 will be arranged so as to be contracted or enlarged with a rise of temperav ture, depending upon whether the fluid employed is a liquid or a gas. I have found that mercury may be used to advantage, and in this case the remainder of the tube or upper part thereof may be filled .with alcohol; the orifice 11 may be placed in the upper leg 12 of the tube, instead of on the bottom leg. Whatever material is used, I arrange the form of the opening 1 1 to accord with the viscosity-temperature curve of the material being used. For example, av forni of the opening, asfshown in Fig. 1, will be used wherer the 'increase of viscosity is greater than :the increaseyof temperature expansion of the rod 14, so that the orifice 11a must grow smaller at an increasing'rate. It may lbe made to grow smaller at a decreasing rate in other cases, as in Fig. 1b; or otherwise it .may vary to suit the conditions of the Huid employed and the expansion ofv rod-14. (See Figlc.)

In Fig. 1'1 I have shown a device by which thetemperature correction is made, not by 'varying the size of the orifice, but by varying the quantity of liquid which may flow before the shifting of theU-tu'be; that is, by

varying the point of time at which the iiow is to change directions. Thus, instead of using the bar 14, in Fig. 1, the orifice 11 may be fixed and the electric contact device 32 may be supported on an expansion bar 31,

so that as the temperature rises, making the liquid less viscous, the electric contact will be made later by raising the position of the electrode 32. Otherwise, of course, the supporting rod 31, carrying contact may be so arranged that as it expands with tcmperature, it accelerates the time of breaking@ 'on the hour glass principle. 0n the properly supported shaft 33, I provide two hoppers, 34 and 35, communicating by an orifice 36; while surrounding the two hoppers is a sliding envelop 37 supported on springs 3S and 39, carried by arms 40 and 41, fixed on the shaft 33. Obviously, as the material S passes through the orifice 86, and drops on the bottom of the envelop 37, the latter is increased in weight, and when the tension of the spring 38 is overcome, the downward movement of the envelop 37 will bring the Contact 42 down onl the conductor rod 48 and make the electric circuit of a suitable source 44, and excite the solenoid 45. The plunger of the solenoid will then be drawn upward, and by means of the rack 46, and pinion 47 on the shaft 33, the shaft 33 and the arms 40, 41, will be turned through an angle of 1800, whereupon the operation will be repeated. The solenoid core 45a and rack 46 may drop again to normal position by action of the rachet connection 33a. In each upward movement, a

Yspring dog 48 engages the toothed wheel 26 and turns it, thus actuating the brush wheel 27 of a meter recorder as before described. l

If the rate at :which the material S flows through the orifice 36 is affected by temperature, as, for example, if it were merthe liquid must flow through the orificesv 54 and 55, respectively, as the tube 53 is' v tilted on the pivot 56 by means of the plunger 57 of solenoids 58 and 59, as will be obvious. As before, I make use of a float 60, which, when raised, makes a contact 61,

connecting the solenoids in the electric circuit, as shown. It will be seen that the time requiredior the liquid to pass through the orifice 55 will decrease withrising temperature, while the time for the gas to pass through the orifice 54 will increase with rising temperature. But since/#the liquid cannotreach the float and close -the switchv to operate the tilting mechanism until the gas has passed the orifice 54, I may adjust the sizes of these two openings to compensate and maire the rate of tilting independent of the temperature.

It will be understood that I am not limited to any particular means for tilting the tubes described. nor of varying the orifice. nor of transmitting the motion of the tilting tube to recording' mechanism. ThiA essential point the provision of the tivnfi measuring device on the clepsydra principle in which there is an accompanying compensation of any change in 'viscosity of the flowing material, and especially the use ot this method of time-measuring, with a slow responding electric meter in order to malte an eflicient integrating meter.

The intermittent timing device herein set fort-h has a further advantage in being entirely electrically operated and requiring no winding or other attention such as clocks and the like, making it of peculiar value for use with simple integrating meters.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its uses, what I claim as new 1s the following:

l. s. time measuring device comprising a fluid container arranged to periodically change position to cause the fluid to flow 1n opposite directions therein through a restricted passage, means to alter the position of. the vessel, and means governed by temperature to compensate for changes of viscosity in the fluid due to changes of temperature. l

2. A time measuring device comprising a fluid container arranged to periodically change position to cause the fluid to flow in opposite directions therein through a restricted passage, means to alter the position of the vessel, and means governed by temperature to alter the size of said passage, whereby to compensate for changes of viscosity in the fluid due to changes ottemperature.

3. A. time measuring device comprising a fluid container mounted on a pivot to rock for transporting fluid from one` side to the other, automatic mechanism for rocking the container, and float operated switch controlling the actuating mechanism, mechanism for rotating a driven element by the rocking of the container, and compensating means to vary the rate of flow of said fluid automatically with variations of viscosity of the fluid, whereby said rotating driven element is moved periodically with' constant motion independent of the temperature of the fluid in .the container.

4t. l time measuring devicercomprising a vessel containing-a shitting body of liquid, means to rock said vessel, and a rotating wheel operated by the shitting of the vessel. said vessel having an orifice through which the liquid flows, comprising a movable member mounted on an expansion support.` and adapted to change the size of the orifice in proportion with the changes of viscosity of the flowing liquid, substantially as described.

time measuringdevice for electric meters. comprising the combination with a rotating wheel. of' means to constantly rotate said wheel at a rate independent of temperature, comprising a rocking vessel containing a fluid and a gas, automatic mechanism to rock the vessel, an orifice in the vessel through which the liquid must pass, and a separate orifice through which the gas must pass` said orifice being arranged with respect to the viscosity of the fluidto render the change of flow of the two fluids taken together through such orifices independent of the temperature of the fluids, substantially as described.

6. A time measuring device, comprising a vessel having a circumferentially closed passage partially filled with liquid and partially by gas, automatic mechanism for rocking the vessel to shift the position of the liquid and gas, float devices in the vessel operated by the liquid to automatically control the rocking mechanism, means to automatically compensate the time of flow of the liquid for changes of temperature thereof, and a rot-ating wheel actuated b the rocking of said vessel, substantially as described.

7. A time-measuring device comprising a fluid-containing receptacle having a restricted passageway between portions thereof, means for so changing the position of the receptacle that the fluid alternately flows from one portion to the other, and expansion means for automatically varying the capacity of the passageway to compensate for changes of viscosity in the fluid.

8. A time-measuring device comprising a vessel having a passageway partially filled by.liquid and partially by gasineans for oscillating said vessel to shift the position of the liquid and the gas` means controlled by the position of the liquid in the vessel to control the oscillating means, and means for automatically compensating the time of How of the liquid for changes of temperature thereof.

9. A time-measuring device comprising a fluid-containing receptacle having a restricted passageway between twoY portions thereof, means for causing the fluid to flow in opposite directions through the passageway, and means for automatically compensating for the changes otl viscosity in the fluid that are caused by changes in temperature.

l0. A time-measuring device comprising a fluid-containing receptacle having a restricted passageway between two portions thereof, means for causing the fluid to flow in opposite directions through the passageway, automatic Ameans for varying the size of the passageway in accordance with the changes of viscosity in the fluid that are caused by changes in temperature.

11. The combination with a fluid-containing receptacle having two compartments with a restricted passageway therebetween, of means for causing the fluid to alternately flow from one compartment to the other,

and automatic means for varying the size Vot' the passageway in accordance with the temperature to which the device is subjected.

12. The combination with a Huid-containing receptacle having two compartments with a restricted passageway therebetween7 ot' means for causing the fluid to alternately flow from one compartment to the other, and automatic means for varying the size 10 otl the passageway in accordance with the changes of Viscosity in the Huid that are caused by changes n temperature.

In testimony whereof, have hereunto subscribed my name, in the presence of tWo subscribing witnesses.

PAUL M. LINCOLN.

Vitnesses BowMaN, M. HANNAFORD. 

